Food – Page 4 – ohdenny

Indochine

September 23, 2016 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Restaurant Reviews, VietnameseLeave a comment

Indochine on Carrington Road is a popular eatery in Box Hill serving an array of authentic Vietnamese dishes. You might be surprised to know that there are quite a number of Vietnamese restaurants in Box Hill such as the recently renovated Pho Huong Viet, Tien Dat, Pho 888, Tan Tan and the new kid on the block, Miss Saigon. Having tried a majority of these, nothing seems to compare to what you may come across in the Vietnamese hubs like Springvale, Richmond or Footscray.

The pho at Indochine is a mixed bag, while the broth is one of the better ones in Box Hill, it’s served at such a lukewarm temperature that you’d rather have a slightly poorer tasting Pho than order this again.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Having been disappointed in the tomato rice dishes in Richmond, I finally found a great one. It’s on par with what I ordered in Springvale. The tomato rice is fried nicely, not too wet and not too dry and cooked with scrambled egg. The crispy chicken at Indochine is also pretty tasty, crispy skin and maybe just slightly over cooked chicken. Served with a slice of lemon and extra salt, which I find you won’t really need anyway.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Last words
Come to Indochine for their tasty Vietnamese food but maybe not for their pho.

Indochine

51 Carrington Road
Box Hill VIC 3128

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Ikkoryu Fukuoka

September 9, 2016 Posted in Food Reviews, Japanese, Melbourne, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

Ikkoryu Fukuoka is located underground on Russell St in Melbourne’s CBD. Close to Flinders St station, it is one of the many Japanese ramen restaurants around Melbourne so certainly each ramen store has to entice diners somehow. Its menu offerings are similar to Hakata Gensuke and Ramen Bankara where you select your variation of the Tonkotsu broth, and choose from add ons such as sliced pork, seaweed and eggs and you are able to choose how you want your noodles to be cooked, whether that’d be soft, hard or in between . What makes this place a bit more special is that each diner has their own menu to write their choices and you include your name on this as well. So when your meal comes to you it’s on a name basis which I find to be a nice change to what is normally a very methodical ordering process.

Ikkoryu Fukuoka’s Chef selection is their Yuzu Tonkotsu which is green in colour. It’s an interesting broth, you can definitely taste the citric flavour of the Yuzu. I find it quite different to the usual more meatier broths like the standard Tonkotsu or the Miso Tonkotsu and I’m not entirely sure I’d choose it again but I’m glad I tried it anyway.

Warning though, if you do choose the Spicy Tobanjan Tonkotsu and pick level 3, it’s ridiculously spicy and I actually couldn’t eat it all because it was that spicy and I can usually take heat relatively well.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Their Chips and Wasabi is like those wonton wrappers deep fried with a creamy wasabi dipping on the side. It’s nice and crunchy, and the wasabi taste comes through well so it’s great for wasabi fans.

Last words

Ikkoryu Fukuoka has a premium feel to it, and it is certainly reflected in the pricing as well. Their ramen is decent, but I would have liked a few more broth choices instead of just Tonkotsu.

Ikkoryu Fukuoka
Basement of 27 Russell Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Shanghai 1930

August 26, 2016 Posted in Box Hill, Chinese, Food Reviews, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

From the outside, Shanghai 1930‘s appearance can be a bit deceiving. However, once you enter its doors you’ll find that it has a lovely contemporary yet traditional aesthetic. Shanghai 1930 offers traditional Chinese cuisine, with Shanghai influences on the menu as well. Their menu has a variety of dumplings to choose from, and many chicken, beef, seafood and vegetarian options as well.

Their Crispy Noodles with Beef was actually quite tasty with tender beef. The sauce that it comes with, however, is quite strong, and leans on the salty side but nonetheless the combination of crispy noodles and beef and vegetables, is a winning combination.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Shanghai 1930 offer what they call “Grandma’s Secret Fried Rice”, and it’s apparent that it isn’t your typical fried rice. The use of chives and I believe spinach adds to the flavour of the fried rice, and it’s cooked with the traditionally used Chinese sausage.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

If you ever walk past this restaurant, you may notice the image of these dumplings. These are the Steamed Shanghai Dumplings that are fried on the bottom with sesame seeds. The pastry (or dough) reminds me of the dough used in Pork Buns, but a bit thinner. The crispy bottom with the traditional pork and ginger filling is an amazingly tasty combination and I’m so glad I tried it.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Their soups you can order as one serve or for sharing. The Hot & Sour soup is what you’d expect, and has that lovely balance of heat and sourness, and just enough sweetness that nothing overwhelms the other. Yum.

Last words

While, Shanghai 1930 may not be one of the “cheap eats” in Box Hill, it certainly makes up for it with its delicious dishes on offer.

Shanghai 1930
959 Whitehorse Road
Box Hill VIC 3128

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

CJ Lunchbar

August 19, 2016 Posted in Food Reviews, Korean, Melbourne, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

CJ Lunchbar situated on the corner of Little Lonsdale St and Hardware St is a popular little eat out for those wanting a taste of Korea. CJ Lunchbar doesn’t just open for lunch like its name suggests, so you can get your Korean fix for dinner as well. What’s great about this place is that the food is good, very good and the servings are generous and value for money and their menu offers bento boxes, rice dishes, and a wide selection of hotplate and soup dishes to choose from.

Their Stonepot Bibimbap has all the ingredients for a tasty Bibimbap but it doesn’t come with the chilli paste that you’d often find provided with other Korean restaurants. Sometimes you find that the Bibimbap can be very bland, but fortunately this isn’t the case here.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

One of their popular items is the Cheese Chicken Bulgogi, one night I saw like the majority of tables order it. It’s a little bit spicy, but the combination of melted cheese and marinated chicken on a hotplate is one of the best dishes you’d find around. So good.

Last words

CJ Lunchbar won’t win awards for being a relaxing dining experience, the tables are small and service is so-so but the food here is worth it.

CJ Lunchbar
Shop 2/391 Little Lonsdale Street (entrance on Hardware Street)
Melbourne VIC 3000
//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Crystal Jade

August 5, 2016 Posted in China Town, Chinese, Food Reviews, Hong Kong, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

Located in Chinatown, Crystal Jade is a popular eatery for Chinese cuisine. They offer Yum Cha (Dim Sum) for brunch/lunch and your typical Chinese cuisine for dinner and of course seafood amongst many of their dishes. Bookings are essential for weekend Yum Cha but luckily they have two sessions available.

We had Yum Cha at Crystal Jade based on reviews on Zomato, and pretty much picked all our usual dishes to compare it against other Yum Cha places we have frequented.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

The Chee Cheong Fun (Rice Noodles with Prawns) at Crystal Jade was decent, it was lacking in a lot of flavour in the filling, and you kinda needed chilli sauce to add some punch to it.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Not being of Cantonese background, I don’t actually know the name of this one but it was like this prawn dim sum, that also needed some extra seasoning, even a bit of salt to enhance the flavours would be good.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

The Century Egg Congee (Rice Porridge) on the other hand was great! I love the crispy things they added on top with the fresh spring onions. Great Century Egg flavour, and just how I like it.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

The Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings) was actually again a bit bland. Goes well with the chilli sauce though which is on the salty side of things, so I guess it balances out. The pastry was also a bit thicker then I’d like.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

This particular dim sum was one of their specials at Crystal Jade, so you do pay a premium for it as it is topped with scallops. It had a nice seafood flavour to it but nothing spectacular.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Siu Mai is probably my second favourite dim sum item, seems like you can’t go wrong with making it. Or I just haven’t come across a bad one yet.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Lo Bak Go is my favourite dim sum item, I love this turnip cake and how I know it’s done right is the consistency. Shouldn’t be dense, and shouldn’t be too flour-ry, and with just enough salt, sugar and pepper seasoning and Chinese sausage pieces throughout it. Lastly, it should be crispy outside. At Crystal Jade, it pretty much checks all the boxes apart from the uneven frying which I can overlook because taste-wise it’s pretty good.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

We also ordered the Tofu Fa, it’s one of these desserts that you can have warm or cold. The lady that served didn’t do the proportions correctly, as we found it just needed quite a lot more of that sugar syrup otherwise it can be quite bland. We had to request for a small bowl of the syrup to adjust it to our liking, but at least it wasn’t too sweet as you wouldn’t be able to rectify that!

Last words

Overall, dining at Crystal Jade doesn’t leave a lasting impression. A few dishes seem to be lacking in flavour, and the other dishes, while are good, aren’t any better than the other places I’ve been to.

Crystal Jade
154 Little Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

Jonker Street

July 22, 2016 Posted in Doncaster, Food Reviews, Malaysian, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

Jonker Street in Doncaster is named after a popular street in Malacca, Malaysia which has now taken over the location that Ronz Roti Kaya used to occupy. The menu at Jonker Street is actually quite extensive, they offer an array of noodle and rice dishes, as well as congee which include your Malaysian staples like Nasi Goreng, and Curry Laksa but they also serve mains if you prefer to share dishes and take the opportunity to try a few more dishes at a time.

Not many places can do a good Assam Laksa, it’s usually either it lacks in flavour or their use sardines which often changes the entire flavour of the broth. I found the Assam Laksa here to be lacking in flavour, it tastes slightly watered down which is disappointing. I’d say it’s around 70% of the intensity it should be at.

The Curry Laksa here is surprisingly good, but it isn’t your typical Laksa that you might find in Laksa King or Chef Lagenda that are more creamier. The Laksa tastes like your typical Chicken Curry sauce but as a broth, which has this lovely spiciness to it that it needs.

The Pan Mee here also has the same issues that the Assam Laksa has, which is that the soup base lacks flavour but more so in this case. The Pan Mee broth should have the flavour of pork and dried anchovies, but it really doesn’t have any taste to it at all so I had to add a lot of chilli to give it flavour.

The Teh Tarik isn’t too bad, maybe just a tad too sweet and not pulled enough but overall it’s decent!

The Ice Cendol has the balance of gula melaka syrup and coconut milk all out, it needs a lot more gula melaka.

Last words

There isn’t anything that stands out to me at Jonker Street, though the Chicken Laksa is probably one of the better dishes but it seems like they have issues with making their broths more intense in flavour. Maybe their other dishes are better, but at the moment I’m in no hurry to try it again.

Jonker Street
84 Jackson Court
Doncaster East VIC 3109

Oneworld Knox

July 13, 2016 Posted in American, Asian, Australian, European, Food, Food Reviews, Knox, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

Oneworld Knox is located in the O-Zone section of Westfield Knox Shopping Centre. Their name aptly describes the variety of cuisines on offer, and by perusing their menu you can definitely tell that is the case. There’s African, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Indian, Italian and Spanish influences on Oneworld’s menu so there’s pretty much something for everyone. We were invited to dine at Oneworld, and one thing I noticed was that they go by the Farm to the Table philosophy, sourcing local produce for their dishes which I am a big fan of!

Oneworld have recently renovated and their fit out is cozy and welcoming, with overhanging plants and vibrant artwork on the walls. We were greeted by some friendly staff and of course, had to have a coffee to start off with. Their organic coffee is sourced from Healesville and has a lovely aroma to it but not too strong.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

We ordered the Buffalo Wingettes and the marinade on the wings was very flavourful with a subtlety of spice that carries through it. Tender chicken that goes nicely with the sour cream, fresh diced tomatoes and alfalfa.

The Fajitas were the standout at Oneworld. We ordered the chicken fajitas but you can also order it with beef, prawns or just vegetarian. What I loved about this dish was the fantastic flavours of that salsa and the chicken was perfectly cooked. Often, you’d find chicken to dry out, especially breast meat but here it was very well cooked. The puree of cherries, capsicum, onions, and celery that when combined create this pink puree was something I hadn’t had before, but what a great combination that adds a bit of sweetness to the dish. I wish I could make that so I could have it as a dip! This dish you could probably even feed two people with just a few more tortillas.//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

I like trying new things, so when I saw Camel Burger on the menu I was instantly drawn to it. Their camel meat is from South Australia, and it’s served with tomato sauce and fries. Surprisingly enough, it was actually quite tasty, camel meat tastes like a more robust beef or veal but just different. The Oneworld sauce that goes with it pairs well, with it’s slight creaminess. Though, the downside is that camel meat seems a bit more lean, so I found it just a tad dry even with the sauce. Overall, it’s a pretty decent burger!//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js
//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

The Porterhouse Steak you can have your choice of garlic butter, mushroom jus or chimichuri sauce. If you choose the garlic butter, they actually provide you with a very generous serving of it in a small bowl. I’d have preferred a garlic butter sauce but the garlic butter was quite nice, though you probably don’t feel like having so much knowing how rich it is. The steak was also cooked to our request of medium and the salad gives the freshness it needs.
//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Last words

Oneworld Knox has an extensive menu with a great variety of tasty foods on offer, and with friendly staff which is a major plus to me! Open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, or just for some desserts or drinks, if you so fancy. Try the Fajitas!

Oneworld Knox
Knox O-Zone
425 Burwood Highway
Wantirna VIC 3152

T: 03 9801 8962

Opening Hours
Everyday – 10am to 10pm

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Wong’s Kitchen

July 1, 2016 Posted in Box Hill, Chinese, Food Reviews, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Not to be confused with Wong’s Lucky Bar, Wong’s Kitchen on Station Street in Box Hill is a Chinese/Cantonese restaurant that most people seem to come for their seafood dishes. Wong’s Kitchen isn’t a very large restaurant, so more often than not, bookings are required.

Crab and egg noodles are probably one of my favourite Chinese dishes as a kid. The crab flavour combined with the wok stir fried noodles is delicious and I could honestly eat just the noodles all on its own. The crab at Wong’s Kitchen is quite nice too, I might add.

One of my favourite vegetables is Chinese broccoli (Kai Lan), there’s something about the crunchiness of the stem and you honestly don’t need much else apart from a bit of garlic.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

According to the staff, their chicken served here is free range. I’m not certain how true that is, but it is a more lean as chicken. Not particularly memorable dish, it’s decent though.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

I remember having Salted Egg Yolk Prawns at Kingsway Seafood Restaurant, which is now sadly closed. The prawns here are quite nice, crispy and have that lovely egg yolk batter that covers the tender prawns. I can’t have too many though because it’s very rich, but I needed to have a few to satisfy my craving.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

A standard dish when we go out to a Chinese restaurant, is their fish. I love sauce that usually accompanies steamed fish, and here it’s just how I like it. The fish was also nicely cooked and fresh.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Wong’s Kitchen also provide complimentary fruits and Red Bean Sago dessert. Lovely end to a meal.

Last words

While Wong’s Kitchen won’t wow you with it’s ambience or service, it’s food is tasty and doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket.

Wong’s Kitchen
596 Station Street
Box Hill VIC 3128

Gami Box Hill

June 17, 2016 Posted in Box Hill, Food Reviews, Korean, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

In Box Hill, there’s actually quite a few Korean eateries to choose from and although Nene’s Chicken made it’s mark first in Box Hill for Korean Fried Chicken, impressions haven’t been that great. Gami, on the other hand, has a number of outlets across town and positively received among many so it’s nice to see make its way to the east.

Gami is located in the newly refurbished office building next to Box Hill Institute’s Whitehorse Campus. It’s quite a cozy little joint but with great natural lighting that comes through. Of course we had to try the fried chicken, and of course, we had to try the spicy variety.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.jsI love the crispiness of the exterior, and the slightly sweet but mainly spicy coating is delicious. You’d probably best eat these at a quicker pace as the sauce tends to soften the crispy chicken a bit but it’s still enjoyable nonetheless.

The Soy Garlic variety, is a great complement to the spicy option. Having one spicy and then a sweeter one balances it out. The chicken was also well cooked, not dry and still tender inside.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

All Fried Chicken comes with Cabbage Salad and Pickled Radish. The tomato mayo dressing is interesting.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

We were recommended to try their Potato Heaven, which is basically mash potato plus cheese, sour cream and wedges and with sweet chilli sauce drizzled on top. I must say, this is so addictive, you can’t stop at one mouthful. So incredibly rich, but so tasty.

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

You also can’t go wrong with their G Beer Pale Ale (Gun:Bae), which is exclusive to Gami. The “hoppy” ness and fruitiness reminded me of Hoegaarden a bit, but don’t take my word for it. I don’t actually know my beers that well!

Last words

Gami, Korean Fried Chicken done right.

Gami Box Hill
Shop 1, 990 Whitehorse Road,
Box Hill VIC 3128

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Cafe Rubix

June 3, 2016 Posted in Australian, Box Hill, Food Reviews, Restaurant ReviewsLeave a comment

//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.jsCafe Rubix caught my eye with it’s bold typeface and black shopfront along Middleborough Road, Box Hill. On a Sunday, it’s bustling with people, chilling out and having their meals and coffees. It’s a cute little cafe and their menu offerings is similar to many other cafes around but of course it’s the taste that matters.

It took my a while to decide but I was dying for hash browns and so ordered the Hungry Badger, it also comes with two poached eggs, toast, chorizo, bacon, smash avocado and beetroot relish. The eggs were nice and gooey as it should be, and the sweet beetroot relish is an interesting addition which provides a bit of tartness to it too. The mashed avo was nicely seasoned, but the bacon and chorizo I found to be a tad overcooked and dry. The hash browns were lovely and crispy!

The coffee isn’t too bad too as well!

Last words

The food-wise it’s decent and service was so-so when I went. Still, I’d probably go back since I’m eyeing the corn fritters.

Cafe Rubix
519 Middleborough Rodd
Box Hill VIC 3128